Wheel.



'B.,P. COOPER.

WHEEL. PLIOATION FILED NOV. 5, 1910. RENEWED FEB ITN ESSESI .3, 191a.Patented July 14, 1914 ormc BENSON P. COOPER, OF IT'I-IACA, NEW YORK.

, WHEEL.

ll,ll3,399.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July Ml, 19143:.

Application filed November 5, 1910, Serial No. 590,866. Renewed February3, 1913. Serial No. 746,034.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENSON P. COOPER, residing at Ithaca, in the countyof Tompkins and State of New York, a citizen of the United States, haveinvented or d13- covered certain new and useful Improvements in \Vheels,of which improvements the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels for vehicles, of the type inwhich a spring ring is employed between the hub and the felly, as forexample the wheel described in my copending application Ser. No. 590,865and the chief object of the invention is to provide an improved wheel ofthis type,

in which greater resiliency and easier riding qualities may be obtainedwith increased strength and durability.

To this and other endsthe inventlon consists in the novel features ofconstructlon and combination of elements hereinafter described and moreparticularly set forth in the appended claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which the wheel is shown in perspective.

The hub member, designated generally by 1, is preferably composed of anintermediate block or plate of wood 2, bolted between two steel plates3, with a number of spaced radial extensions'or arms 4t, making thewhole a rigid element without joint-s at the center as in the case of anordinary hub and spokes. By preference the hub-member is of the generaltriangular form shown with the sides curved slightly inward. In generalthe form of the hub-member ef' fectually braces it, as it were, againststresses, applied in directions parallel with and at right angles to theaxis of the wheel as will be readily understood. At the center of thehub-member is a bearing 5 for the axle.

Concentric with the hub-member and firmly secured to the ends of theextensions or arms l, is a spring ring or band 6, which may becontinuous. Outside of and concentric with the spring ring but spacedtherefrom is a rigid felly 7, preferably composed of an inner steel rimor band 8, an outer felly of wood 9, and a tire 10 suitably mounted onthe latter. The tire 10 may be formed of any suitable materialpreferably one that will aiford a cushioning action and of the wheel,and the lengths of the springs are such as to form in effect a polygonalspring ring the sides of which are secured tangentially to the circulars ring ring or band and the angles to the rigi felly. Preferably thesetangential springs have their ends bent into more or less resemblance toan Sshape, and I also prefer to provide small metal plates 12 betweenthe springs 11, 11, and the spring ring or band 6, the ends of theplates having rounded edges, as shown, to avoid sharp bends in the sprmgelements at these points. The widths of the felly the tangentialsprings, the spring rim, and the hub-member are such as to affordadequate resistance to lateral stresses, for example such as are exertedon the wheel when the vehicle is turning a corner.

When the wheel is in use, for instance as a driving wheel of anautomobile, the driving force or torque is exerted by the hubmemberextensions or arms on the tangential springs in the form of a pulllongitudinally of the latter. As the springs 11 are secured to the endsof the arms 4 the initial pull will be transmitted by them to the felly.If the resistance presented by the felly is suflicient these springswill lengthen thereby permitting a portion of the stress to be exertedon the band and be by it t ransmitted through the springs l1 to theielly.

In the construction shown and claimed in the application referred to allof the driving strain or stress is transmitted from the hubmemberthrough the resilient band to the folly, so that the band is alwaysunder tension when subjected to the shock incident to the wheel strikinga stone or other obstruction, and the full resilience of the band is notavailable to lessen the jar or shock. It is characteristic of theconstruction described herein that the resilient band is placed inturning the wheel, under such comparatively slight tension thatpractically all of its resilience is available to lessen the shock orjar due to the wheel striking an obstruction. And further the springs 11and 11 will also act to reinforce the shock absorbing action of theresilient band. This is especially true in regard to the springs 11*. Intransmitting the driving power of the felly, the tendency is tostralghten the curves at one end of the tangential springs and bend thesprings more sharply at the other end; that is, the springs not onlyyield radially of the wheel but also tangentially;,but the curvesmentioned are long and hence the springs are well able to take thestrain without breaking.

The construction herein specifically shown and describedis the one Iprefer, the same having demonstrated by actual use that it possesses thestrength and resiliency demanded for a successful wheel of this type,

but it is to be understood that the invention plurality of spacedextensions or arms and formed between i such extensions to withstandtorsional stress, a resilient band secured to said extensions, an outerrigid felly concentric with the band and spaced therefrom, and a seriesof springs between the band and felly, tangentially to the former, saidsprings being secured by their middle points alternately to thehub-member extensions or arms and to the band between such extensionsand having their ends secured to the rigid felly.

3. A resilient wheel for vehicles comprising, in combination, ahub-member having a plurality of spaced radial arms, a resilient andsecured to said arms, an outer rigid felly concentric with said band andspaced therefrom, and a series of springs cons't'ructed to yieldradially and circumferentially interposed between the band and the fellyand arranged tangentially to the former.

4:. A resilient wheel for vehicles, comprising in combination, a rigidhub-member having a plurality of spaced radial arms, a resilient bandmounted on the radial arms, a rigid felly concentric with the band andspaced therefrom, a plurality of springs arranged tangentially to theband and connected at their middle points to the respective arms of thehub-member and at their ends to the rigid felly and a plurality ofsimilar springs connected at their ends to the said felly and at theirmiddle points to gle band between the arms of the hub-mem- 5. Aresilient wheel for vehicles, comprising in combination, a rigidhub-member having a plurality of spaced radial arms, a resilient'bandmounted on the arms, a rigid felly concentric with the band and spacedtherefrom, yielding devices connecting the felly to the band at pointsmidway between the hub-member arms, and yielding devices fortransmitting forces from the hub-member arms'to the rigid felly arrangedtangentially of the former.

6. In a resilient wheel for vehicles, in combination, an inner elementcomprising a rigid hub-member having a plurality of spaced radial arms,and a resilient band mounted on the arms, an outer element comprising arigid felly concentric with the band and spaced therefrom, and aplurality of springs connected to the outer element and tangentially tothe band and capable of yielding tangentially as well as radially of thesaid band. i

7. A resilient wheel for vehicles, comprising, in combination, ahub-element having'a plurality of spaced radial arms, a resilient bandmounted on said arms, a rigid felly concentric with the band and spacedtherefrom, a series of tangential springs connected at their ends to thefelly and at their middle points to the hub-member arms and the band,and buffer plates having rounded edges interposed between said middlepoints of the springs and the elements to which 7 such points areconnected.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

BENSON RCOOPER Witnesses:

BERT T. BAKER, HERMAN J. FRAN'rz.

